


The Forgotten Newsie

by Agressive_Cinnamon_Roll



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Abusive man gets his ass kicked in chapter eight btw, Angst, Backstory, Family Fluff, Financial Issues, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sex, Kiddo Splash and I'm SOFT, Larkin University RP, M/M, Slut Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-23 17:29:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20012101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agressive_Cinnamon_Roll/pseuds/Agressive_Cinnamon_Roll
Summary: The life of William Perez, also known as Splasher, as he grows into the young man seen in the Larkin University RP. Featuring the best family in the world, I spy, slut issues, the cryptid newsie, twin trouble, a single lizard, and a ferret that changed Splash's life.





	1. La vida en Mexico

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy I wanted to write Splash's backstory, but it ended up being so long I had to make it a fic. I have no self control. Some of the Spanish might be terrible, I used google translate and I'm sorry. Thank you to my wonderful friends in the Larkin University RP for being amazing and making my life one hundred times better!!

Little William Perez was born with stars in his eyes and _so much energy._ He had been running around outside all afternoon, and as the sun slowly retreated bellow the horizon, he knew his fun was coming to an end. He ducked behind some bushes, snickering to himself as Barney headed inside like a ‘good kid.’ Gross.

“William! Entra!” _William! Come inside!_ He heard his Abuela call, but he stayed silent, still, like one of the many gnomes to go missing in these very bushes. Then something caught his eye, and suddenly he forgot all about his bedtime. A small, green lizard, scurrying around in the dirt and poking its tongue out at Will. Giggling softly, William carefully coaxed the lizard into his hand, but when that didn’t work, he just lunges at it and cupped it in his hands, grinning maniacally.

His little escapade obviously alerted Abuela to his presence, as a moment after he slipped the little creature in his pocket, she pulled the bushes back with a sudden, “Boo!”

William screeched, cowering in fear before relaxing at the familiar, warm smile.

“Qué te dije de quedarte tarde?” _What did I tell you about staying out late?_ She scolded in a playful manner, drawing a shudder from the young boy. “La Llarona vendrá a visitarte~” _La Llarona will come visit you~_

“Nooo!” Will cried, before scrambling to his feet and bolting for the house. Abuela simply smirked as she followed him, William’s antics an everyday affair~

Shhhh Scales was still in Will’s pocket! He decided to name the lizard Scales, for obvious reasons. The five year old wandered along the halls of their dingy old house, but soon stopped dead in his tracks.

His parents were trying to hide in their room while they talked, but they clearly weren’t doing a very good job since the door was still a crack open. Will was _much_ better at hide and seek~ One time he hid for two hours while Grayson tried to find him!

His mum was pacing nervously, while his papa sat hunched on the bed, fidgeting. They spoke in an alien tongue, their words a mystery to William.

“What’re we supposed to do Sebastián!? We’re already skipping meals to try feed the kids! It’s a slippery slope to living on the street…” Mum shouted in a hushed tone, pushing a hand through her hair.

“Anita…” Papa murmured gently, taking his wife’s hand in his own. “I promise, everything will work itself out…”

“You always say that, and it only seems to be getting worse…” She flopped down, resting her head on papa’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to do… I just want to give them a happy and comfortable childhood…”

“I know you do, amor…” He gingerly kissed her forehead, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “Maybe this move will be a new start for us. New opportunities, new jobs, nice, new house…”

“If the America truly is like the pretty picture painted in movies, a flying pig wouldn’t seem like much of a stretch…” She chuckled dryly, wiping tears from her eyes that she didn’t even know had been shed. “I guess I should start teaching the kids English…”

“Even if it isn’t glitz and glamour, it’ll be home. Home is wherever family is…” Gently cupping her cheek, papa met her lips in a soft kiss, full of love and reassurance.

William quickly lost interest in whatever they were discussing, wandering into his and Barney’s room with a bounce in his step. Time to find Scales a nice home~


	2. Home is with Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Siblings Alisha, Jameson and William (Splasher) mess around together~ Life in NYC is incredibly different to Mexico, but no matter where the Perez family is, home is anywhere so long as they have each other.

“Jameson! Give it back!” Alisha pouted and crossed her arms as her older brother held the diary out of her reach. “That’s mine!”

“Shhh, just lemme look!” He retorted, flicking through the pages. William joined him, searching through the lines of… sheet music? Page after page had been glued into the small notebook she had received for her birthday, bits and pieces were highlighted. “Wow…”

“Guuuuyyys,” Alisha whined, making grabby hands at the book.

“This is really good Alisha~” Will trilled, swiping the book from Jameson to hand it back. “Do you happen to have an instrument in mind?”

Alisha held the book close to her chest, eyes lighting up. “Violin!”

“Rare choice,” Jameson chuckled, patting her head for a second before poking her arm. “Tag, you’re it!”

“HEY!” She growled, setting her book down and taking a few steps to chase after Jameson. She halted, narrowing her eyes at Will.

“Oh heck no!” Will couldn’t help the soft giggles escaping him as he took off, racing as quickly as he could behind their caravan and squeezing into one of the few tents they had set up.

He remained silent as a mouse for a moment, before someone harshly unzipped the flap. William crawled back a little, trying to use a blanket to hide himself.

“Make room!” Jameson whispered hurriedly, diving into the crammed space next to Will. “And pipe down! She’ll hear you!”

They remained huddled together for a long time, snickering to themselves every time they saw the shadow of their sister run past them. That is, until the coast seemed to be clear…

“Think it’s safe to head out…?” Will inquired softly, shifting uncomfortably. The tent was so crammed and humid, he was thankful he was one of the four siblings who got to sleep in the caravan.

“I dunno…” Jameson carefully unzipped one corner, trying to get a peak outside. “She doesn’t seem to be-”

“RAWR!” The two boys let out a shrill screech as something – probably Alisha – dove onto the tent, squishing them. “I found you gremlins!” She unzipped the flap, crawling in and flopping over her brothers’ laps dramatically. “I win!!!”

“You scared the shi- heck… out of me.” A nervous laugh escaped Jameson, that was close…

“I’m the best seeker~”

“Indeed you are, I bow down to you, your majesty~” Will bowed his head, speaking in a fake British accent and holding a finger under his nose like a mustache.

Alisha snuggled up to the two boys with a soft hum, “It’s cozy in here… Jamie, what’s it like living in one of these?”

“Awful,” He huffed, crossing his arms. “It might seem comfy, but it gets _real_ old, _real_ quick. It’s too cold at night and too hot in the day, and sharing with Connor means I never have privacy… you caravan kids are lucky.”

“I share a bed with Barney, how is that lucky?” Splash groaned, rolling his eyes. “I can’t get away from my clone, I roll over and BOOM my face.”

Alisha couldn’t stop giggling, stifling some in Will’s shoulder. “My new friend Kelsey has a house… y’know, like we had back home. They even have _two_ stories! It’s crazy!”

“Wow!” Will gasped, “I just figured New York and Mexico were really different. I didn’t realise houses were still a thing.”

“Yeah, houses are a thing for people with dollar dollar bills y'all.” Jameson groaned with frustration, Will couldn’t exactly understand why. They had it pretty good. They had a roof, even a dodgy one, food and family. Plus, they weren’t going to school right now! Hallelujah!! No more homework!!!

Alisha perked up a little, “What’s the time?”

“Uhh… probably around four? I dunno, ask Abuelo.” Jameson sighed, laying back against his pillow and resting his eyes for a moment. “Mum’ll be getting home from work soon.”

“Yay!” Alisha bounced up, scrambling to unzip the flap.

William followed her out, giggling to himself. They never got to see her anymore, nor their dad. They were always working to put food on the table, and now that they were starting to put Alisha and some of the others through school, they were working even harder. Apparently Will was next… He shuddered at the thought, sitting down on the grass with Alisha while they waited. “Wanna play I spy until she gets here?”

“Yeah!!” Alisha cheered, before looking around with an intense expression. “I spy with my little eye…”


	3. Invisible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twin brothers Splasher and Barney share some good ol' bonding time, and Splash laments his loneliness and feelings of invisibility.

“Something beginning with s.”

Barney hummed in thought, rolling onto his side and looking around the attic, their bedroom. “Is it… Scales?” His eyes fell on a drawing of a lizard that William had done when he was eight.

“Nope,” Will replied, pushing a hand through his hair.

“Scruffy?” Barney nodded to the small dog plush he had gotten at a yard sale and carried around everywhere when he was nine.

“Nuh-uh.”

Barney was quiet for a long moment before exclaiming, “Surf board!”

“Ding, ding, ding!” William grinned, he was surprised Barney didn’t figure it out earlier. Will had taken quiet a liking to the beach, even if it was a long bus ride away. Some guy just threw out a perfectly good surf board one day without a care, so Will nicked it for himself~ Though he was self-taught, he was damn good at surfing.

Barney chuckled lightly, “Alright, that’s enough for tonight, it’s- god it’s Wednesday… we have school today Will, why’d we stay up all night!?”

“Because, my dear Peanuts,” Will winked, “I’m the evil twin, I was born to be a bad influence.”

Barney scoffed, turning off their torch and settling down for the night, “Goodnight, William.”

“Night,” A pause. “Hey Barney?”

“What?” He groaned, face buried in his pillow.

“You’re pretty popular, right?” Will was staring up at the ceiling, though his mind was elsewhere. “Showman Perez? The star, destined for a theatre scholarship?”

“I have two friends Will, how is that popular?” Barney shifted, propping himself up on his elbows.

“Two more than I have…” William sighed, he was invisible. No one talked to him, and even when he went to talk to people they’d look right through him… “What’s it like?”

Barney was silent for a long moment. Even in the dark, Will could _feel_ that sympathetic look Barney was giving him and he hated it. “It’s… nice.” Barney mumbled, “People to talk to. They’ll support me through thick and thin… they’re the first two people I came out to.”

Will couldn’t manage any more than a nod, sorrow filling his chest. “That sounds lovely…”

“Yeah…”

There wasn’t anything in the world William wanted more than friends. At least _one,_ someone to talk to and laugh with. Someone who would get into trouble with him, that’s all any thirteen year old wanted. That and a phone. He was lacking in both. Will was an alien to the other kids, foreign and… weird. Nobody wants to be his friend. He was… invisible…

“Will?”

“Huh?” William blinked back to reality, turning his attention to Barney. “Sorry, zoned out.”

Barney let out an exasperated sigh, but was smiling softly none the less. “I asked if you had a ride to rehearsals tomorrow.”

“I’ll find a way,” Will murmured, letting his eyes slip shut. “Maybe I’ll nick a little bus money from one of the rich kids, there’s one perk to being invisible…”

“William Valentino Perez, what have I told you about thievery?” Barney scolded in a teasing manner, getting a pillow thrown at his face in retaliation.

“Shush, it’s sleepy time,” Splash hissed, giggling a little as he settled down into bed. “Goodnight, Peanuts.”

“Night Beach Boy.”


	4. Meaningless...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a popular boy from Splash's swim team invites him out, he believes his invisibility is finally over! Little did he know, this was just the beginning of a harsher curse that would plague his life and diminish his faith in love...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly? This chapter may just be to create another person for the folks over at Larkin to project their frustrations onto. However, it plays into some unfortunate issues Splash still struggles with months into the RP, so it's still an important moment~ Two birds, one stone.

“‘Ey Perez!”

William spun around to face the boy who called his name- oh shit it’s Marcus. Marcus Kilmer was a fellow swim teammate, and _a very cute boy._ Will happened to develop a bit of a squish on him, and now he was talking to him. Holy shit.

“M-Marcus, hey! What’s up?” This boy had never seemed to notice Splash before, what was so different now?

“Nothing much really, me and the guys were gonna head over to Burger King to celebrate _your_ recent win~” He threw an arm, already walking the two to the door. “Wanna come?”

Considering Will’s legs were already moving, he couldn’t do much more than nod. “That sounds really great~” _Oh my god the curse of invisibility is over!_

“That’s the way, Splasher!” Will – or rather Splasher – had no real idea where that name came from. He narrowed it down to the swim team or always being at the beach. He didn’t mind it though, he was kinda like a cryptid at this point. Teachers called him Perez, the few people who did talk to him called him Splash. No one knew him as William anymore.

The next few hours were a blur. Hanging out with his teammates and Marcus was a blast~ They really saw him! They talked to him! It was so much fun, he finally had friends~

Eventually, the sun was sinking in the sky, and Splash had offered to walk home with Marcus. Why? Because cute boy, and his place was on the way to the bus stop anyways.

Laughing and talking the whole way, they soon reached the house, grinning like idiots. Little did Splash know, this was about to get _better._

In a flash, Splasher was pinned against the wall, his lips meeting Marcus’s in a fiery kiss. _His first kiss._ Splasher’s heart pounded in his chest as he gripped Marcus’s hips, pulling him closer before being dragged inside by the handsome, charming boy…

Every touch, every kiss, every bite felt _so good._ It was hard to believe that a mere hour ago, they were just friends… now they were… Splash didn’t know. He didn’t want to think about anything except the boy at his neck, making Splash feel new pleasures and joys he could only imagine.

* * *

Splash couldn’t help but wake up with a smile. Last nights activities were still fresh in his mind, making his heart flutter in his chest. He rolled over to see _Marcus._ Charismatic, beautiful, fun-

“Mornin’ Splash,” He mumbled, a small smirk creeping onto his lips.

“Good morning~” God, Splash couldn’t be any happier~ He leaned in to meet Marcus’s lips, but… something stopped him. Opening his eyes, Splash saw Marcus’s finger pressed against his lips, he looked… thoroughly amused…

“Whatcha think you’re doing there, Perez?” His voice oozed with a mocking tone, a stark contrast to the charming boy he’d just had his first time with… “Aww, you didn’t think that meant anything, did you?” Marcus _chuckled,_ it was the worst thing Splash had ever heard. While earlier Marcus’s laughs had been light, musical, now it was coarse and dry. It… hurt…

“Wh- I-”

Marcus sighed as he crawled out of bed, dark marks dotting his neck and chest, marks _Splasher_ had left. “Babe-” _Don’t call me that if you don’t mean it-_ “That was a little something called a ‘one night stand.’ It didn’t mean anything.” Marcus turned to face Splash, a shirt covering the last evidence of their escapade. “It’s cute that you think it would.”

Splash opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. There was nothing he could say. He had always felt invisible, like he could disappear and not a soul would notice, but he had never felt so paper thin…

“Uhh…” Marcus fixed his hair up, he didn’t take his eyes off his reflection in a mirror for a moment. “You should go. They’re called a one night thing for a reason. I’m not making you breakfast or anything.”

“I… okay…” Splash whispered, he couldn’t summon his voice to be any stronger. He slowly climbed out of bed, pulling on his clothes and turning back to Marcus one last time. _What am I supposed to say to this?_

“You’re welcome~” Marcus briefly flicked his eyes over to Splasher with a wink, still staring in the mirror.

 _‘You’re welcome?’ Why…? I… I have nothing to thank you for…_ Splash set his jaw, awkwardly shuffling out of the room…

_It didn’t mean anything…_


	5. Written in the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abuelo takes Splasher out to the observatory - their favourite place - to serve as a distraction~

Splash sighed to himself as he covered the last of the previous nights hickeys. He hated that the boy was fresh in his mind, all of them were… Kyle Smith, in his history class, they had been partnered for a group project and he managed to trick Splash into thinking he really cared. Just like everyone else…

“William! Ready to go?” His sorrowful expression and heavy heart quickly lightened as Abuelo called his name, he really needed this. Throwing on a random hoodie, he raced down the creaky stairs to meet up with his Abuelo, giving him a cheesy grin.

He loved his Abuelo. No matter the occasion, he was ready to distract Splasher from whatever intrusive, self deprecating thoughts he might be having. They crammed into the family’s little, red ford crown Victoria, driving out to their favourite place to get away~

On the outskirts of the city, close to Splash’s beach, was a little observatory. It was old, but still quite nice. The top was a glass dome with three telescopes, and black cushioned seats were set up for those who didn’t desire to use the telescopes.

The sun was dipping below the horizon as they arrived, dusk casting a dark, blue glow. Splasher wasted no time hopping out of the car excitedly, barely waiting for Abuelo as he bolted to the observatory.

“William! Slow down!” Abuelo panted as he caught up to the energetic boy, who reminded him so much of himself… “You know I can’t run, my lungs aren’t what they used to be.”

“Sorry,” Splash rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle, before slowly helping his Abuelo hobble up the stairs. Even that sent him wheezing and gasping for breath… it broke Splash’s heart.

“Will-” Abuelo spluttered as he reached the top of the stairs, Splash leading him over to sit down.

“Are you alright…?” To say Splasher was worried was an understatement.

“Listen to me William,” Once Abuelo had his breath returned, he spoke up, eyes hard with a serious look. “I know smoking looks cool in your movies, but it’s not. It’s a huge mistake.” He took a deep breath, this wasn’t a talk he wanted to have… but it was one he needed to. “I used to smoke, it only took a few cigarettes for my addiction to begin, and it was hard to quit from there. It took a long time, I almost lost your Abuela along the way. Don’t put yourself through it. Don’t put your loved ones through it. I need you to promise me, promise you won’t ever touch a cigarette in your life.” His eyes had softened throughout the story, silently begging Splash to swear that he wouldn’t put himself through the pain…

“I promise.” Splasher replied without a moments hesitation. He never understood the big deal with smoking, but seeing the toll it had taken on his Abuelo’s health was heartbreaking… it scared him out of ever going _near_ a cigarette.

Abuelo breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank you. Now that that’s out of the way…” He trailer off as his eyes were drawn to the shimmering spectacle above him.

The sky was not yet painted a dark ebony yet, but Splash could be the faintest shimmer, like tiny crystals lining the sky.

“No matter how many times I come here, I never fail to have my breath stolen by the beautiful sight…” Abuelo smiled softly at Splash, staring up at the glittering lights with a dreamy, far off expression. “Well, my breath is always stolen by both the stars, and the stairs.” He chuckled lightly.

“It’s gorgeous… the stars, I mean. They’re so beautiful…” Splash mumbled in awe, looking for new patterns and shapes that he might’ve missed before.

“You say the same thing every time, but you can never say it enough,” Abuelo nodded a little, refusing to tear his eyes away from the sky for a second. “Can you remember the silly names you’d give to constellations you’d find?”

William couldn’t help but grin at the wonderful memories, he and Abuelo had been coming here since he was seven, it was possibly his favourite place in the world aside from the beach… “That one was piggy,” He pointed at a cluster of stars that seemed to form a pig in Will’s eyes.

“I could never see what you saw with that one… and I regret to say I still can’t see a pig.” Will went about his usual routine of pointing out every star to make a bigger picture, but Abuelo was still none the wiser.

“And wasn’t that one the Southern Cross…?” Will pointed out the stars that weren’t exactly like the Australian constellation, but close. “After the trip to Australia, I missed the Southern Cross… so when I picked out something remotely similar I got super excited.” He recalled the memory like it was yesterday, Abuelo nodding along.

“You always said that one-” Abuelo traced out a line of stars- “You called it Scales.”

“Because it looked like a pet lizard I had for all of four days…” Will giggled softly, happily drowning in nostalgia. He lived for these moments with Abuelo, for even just a few seconds, he felt like everything would be okay.

“You know, I used to look at the stars with your Abuela all the time,” Abuelo interjected suddenly, dragging Will away from his memories. “We didn’t have much, all we had was each other. Each other, and the stars. With all the luxuries we couldn’t afford, even without a roof over our heads, the stars were always free…”

William listened intently, holding onto every word like a hidden treasure. He admired his grandparents, they had both been through so much and came out the other side as wonderful people. Without them, Will didn’t know where he’d be. However, the subtle pinch in his heart had returned at a sudden thought; “I wish I had someone to look at the stars with…”

“William…” Abuelo rested a coarse, shaking hand on Will’s, looking at him with _sympathy._ Usually, William hates sympathy, but coming from Abuelo, he just couldn’t. “You _will._ He’s out there for you, waiting until the time is right to come along and make your life complete. One day, you’re going to have that amazing, perfect, wonderful man you dream of, and one day you’ll be able to bring him here. I promise, he’s out there and waiting to fall in love with you. Waiting to watch the stars with you.”

Those words, that promise, was the only thing keeping Will sane in a world of people who wished to use him and move on. The hope that one day he’ll find them… his Abuelo spoke with so much joy and passion, there was no way someone could speak with so much heart if he wasn’t certain.

Will could do nothing but nod, sniffing as he wiped away a few runaway tears with his sleeve. “I know… it’ll happen. Thank you… I love you, Abuelo.”

“I love you too, chango~” Abuelo teased, ruffling Will’s hair.

Of all the stars in the sky, the brightest ones were the stars in William’s eyes that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note; Splash later goes on to break this promise and develops a smoking addiction. However, he's quitting and doing well!


	6. Blood Drips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night after winning the strike and getting Snyder the spider - a teacher using corporal punishment - arrested, Splasher writes a poem in celebration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make some mention to the strike, but I didn't know how to write a chapter since it involves so many characters so... free-verse poem! Side note; Splash had his rib cracked by Snyder, losing his swim scholarship. It goes without saying that Splash hates him. AND YES THAT'S A BLOOD DRIPS ON THE NEWSIES SQUARE REFERENCE I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF I'M ONLY HUMAN!

**Blood Drips**

Together we march

Signs held high

“Strike!” they yell

Louder than the loudest roar

A spider who needs squishing

For the sake of those he bit

The venomous Snyder

Washed down the drain

When the students stop work

And march in the halls

May they beat us

And knock us to the ground

But up we will rise

Unioned we stand.


	7. The Boy from the Yacht

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Splash falls victim to the curse of the one hit wonder... The infamous boy from the yacht, and the last straw before Splash gives up on love, accepting his fate as meaningless...

The sun was shining and Splasher hated it. It burnt his face and blinded him, a painful reminder the night was over. He rolled over in the bed, praying to god for the soft touch of skin, only to be met with crumpled sheets. He shifted, propping himself up with one arm and saw him. His ebony hair was still disheveled, and Splash got a good look at the fading scratches before they were covered up by a t-shirt.

“Morning Tiger Shark,” the boy turned around, smirking at Splasher. Tiger Shark. It was… weird. Splash’s memory of the previous night was foggy, he had no real clue as to where it came from… but he did know it was unique. Just his. Special.

“Mason…” Splash remembered the name, just like any other day… “G’morning…”

Mason grabbed a couple of socks that were on the floor, sitting at the foot of the bed to put them on, “what’s wrong babe? You look sad, was last night a disappointment?”

“No! It’s not- I didn’t,” Splasher fumbled over his words, the look of amusement clear on Mason’s face, “last night was great, amazing even. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

“Well, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who had fun,” Mason’s stormy eyes flicked over Splash’s bruise dotted chest, proud of his work.

A pit was growing in Splasher’s stomach. Mason’s words rolled over and over in his head like a broken record; _just one night of meaningless pleasure.”_ Meaningless. Splasher had done it many times. Picked up a random guy on the street, who didn’t bother learning his name, and had empty sex. But this time was different. He felt it as soon as he spotted Mason from across the deck. Everything about him was perfect; his smile, his laugh, his soft skin, his bite… all of it was perfect. And that’s what made his throat tighten.

“Tiger Shark?” Mason snapped his fingers in Splash’s face, “Earth to Tiger, you sure you’re okay?”

Splasher’s heart leapt into his throat as his pet name was called, “Uh…I think…”

“Guess I better head out, I have work in a few. Bye Tiger Shark,” Mason leaned forward and pressed a kiss into Splasher’s neck. _Why?_ Light leaked in through the door to their room, brightening everything like a fresh coat of paint.

“Did it mean anything?” the words jumped out of Splasher’s throat before he had the chance to clamp his jaw shut.

Freezing in place, the silhouette of everything last night meant spoke back, “Not one bit.”

Just like that, Splasher was alone, his head spinning with thoughts he couldn’t tune out. _No one’s ever wanted you for more than one night, so why would that change now? You should be glad he said no, none of that responsibility bullshit. Yeah… I’m real fucking glad he said no._

_I’ll always be the one hit wonder. I give up. I’m tired of trying to be more._


	8. The Sophia Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: MENTIONS OF ABUSE AND GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE  
> There is a hidden side to Splasher... one he only ever revealed when the situation called for it. So when he discovered his sister Sophia's boyfriend had been controlling and abusing her? He snapped. Crazy Splash decided to pay this bastard a little visit...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a bonus chapter? Crazy Splash is a reoccurring presence and he's so much fun to write!!

**//** **TW: MENTIONS OF ABUSE AND GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE**

Splash was seeing red. It all started with him and Barney chilling at home, when Jameson came home supporting a beaten bloodied Sophia. She was so out of it, it took them five minutes to get her to talk to any of them. Turns out, her boyfriend is an abusive piece of shit. He’s been beating the shit out of her for every little thing, pressuring her into moving in with him, and discovered she’d told her friend about his abuse through a mirroring app on her phone.

That was all it took for Splasher to walk right out the front door in a blind rage. His brothers knew what was going on. They didn’t try to stop it.

He was lucky his equipment fit in his duffel bag, and even luckier that he didn’t need a key to get up the apartment. He knocked on the door lightly, a small smile already tugging on his lips.

“What?” A man opened up with a huff, and Splash immediately hit him square in the nose, a satisfying crack echoing through the halls.

Splasher sighed as he locked the apartment door behind him, looking down at the bastard with a proud smirk. Blood was already spilling from his nose, Splash _loved_ this.

“Y’know… I sincerely hope the devil gives he a high five when I get down there…” He chuckled with a steely grin, dropping his bag to the floor and crouching to open it. “Oh, where are my manners? My name’s Splash, I’m Sophia’s brother.”

“That bitch…” the monster muttered under his breath, earning a scowl from Splash. He pulled out a bandanna he found at target, shoving it in the asshole’s mouth.

“Much better. Now… I’m a nice person. I love my family very much. I’d do anything for them. And well, you’ve hurt my sister, along with god knows how many girls. You’ll be burning in hell after this life, but…” Splash pulled a huge carton of gasoline out of his bag, letting out a fit of laughs as he unscrewed the lid. “I thought I’d give you a head start.”

Splash struggled for breath between laughs, staring down at the cowering man bellow him, doused in gasoline. “You know, I’ll _never_ understand assholes like you.” Splash pulled a lighter out of his pocket, relishing in the horror in the bastard’s eyes. “I know what you’re thinking; _you’re enjoying this, so clearly you’re just like me._ Which, damn right I’m enjoying this, but there’s one _major_ difference…” Splash walked right up to the monster, pulling him up by his shirt collar. “You enjoy hurting innocent people. And you, my friend, are not innocent.”

Splash flicked the lighter on, admiring the beautiful flame that if dropped could burst into a stunning array. Giggling, he threw the bastard to the floor, hovering the lighter over his head. “God, it would take so little effort to just… let this go. The world will be a better place for it…”

Fire seemed to rage in Splash’s eyes, like the man could see his fate just by looking at them. “In all honesty, it’s quite sad you feel the need to beat people. You have so little confidence in yourself you have to make your loved ones feel powerless and small.”

Splash had the biggest grin on his face as he mimicked dropping the lighter over and over again, cracking up every time his victim flinched. “I bet that’s what the whole mirroring app was too! You’re so self conscious you’re worried Sophia will find someone one hundred times better then you and leave you behind in the dust. I sure hope she does. You don’t deserve shit.”

Splash pulled the bastard up to eye level by his shirt collar again, grinning maniacally. “Now, as much as I really wanna drop this lighter and watch you go up in flames, I’m gonna give you an opportunity to make a good decision for once in your life. Tomorrow morning, I want you out of my sister’s life. You’ll delete her number, you’ll avoid everywhere you know she goes, you’ll just… disappear. Never to be seen by her again. If you don’t… I’ll be back, I promise. And I won’t be as merciful.”

With that, Splash tossed the monster to the ground, dissolving into a fit of crazy laughs.

“You’re nuts!” Oh. His gag fell out. Splash bobbed down next to the bastard, picking the bandanna up and smiling sweetly.

“Damn right I am~” He rose to his feet, turning and walking to the door. “Do me a favour,” he looked back one final time, “pretend I killed you. Go off the grid. Cut all ties. Never lay a finger on another person ever again. Your disappearance would do a lot of favours~” And so Splasher left. He walked through the busy streets of New York, with a smile on his face and reeking of gasoline. Needless to say, Splash felt this good in a long time…


	9. The Curse is Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The happenings and events leading to the beginning of Larkin University, and the ferret that changed Splash's life and broke his curse~

Calculus is never fun. But when it’s paired with that guy three seats forward, staring at Splash like a piece of meat? No bueno.

Splasher drummed his fingers against the table as he listened to the teacher drone on about… god knows what. Tumblr was open on his laptop in front of him, the only thing keeping him sane.

And _that boy._ He was in all honesty quite cute, and seemed to be very impatient as he constantly glanced backwards. Splasher didn’t even know his name. He’d given up on names. _Looks like the one hit wonder is once again gonna be used for a quick fuck when class ends._

The tiniest of dings sounded on his laptop, snatching his attention away from the predator in front of him.

**racetwinkhiggins**

**so uh… if you hear noises from my room, ignore them… i definitely didn’t sneak a ferret into the dorm… and… he didn’t immediately escape under the couch… for no reason, can one of the Strong Boys plz come help me move this couch?**

Splash really couldn’t help the small smile from growing on his lips as he read over the message, he honestly wasn’t surprised that Racetrack Higgins had a, gotten a ferret despite dorm policies, and b, that he managed to lose said ferret.

Splash seemed to type on auto pilot, his thoughts screaming at him in an endless cacophony. _You’re invisible, you aren’t going to get a reply. No one noticed you before, why would they now?_

He hit send.

**splasher-perez**

**Oh screw calc, I gotta see this**

Leaning back in his chair, he let out an exasperated sigh. He knew he wasn’t gonna get a reply but… might as well try-

**racetwinkhiggins**

**PLEASE HELP ME SAVE MY SON**

He… he got a reply? Racetrack had actually asked him to help…? Splash was beaming, he had been _seen._ For once he wasn’t invisible, unless…

He had always thought Race was cute, but… he was on Splash’s list. _‘People I won’t be able to say goodbye to…’_ He had accumulated quite a number of names, most from the strike…

_People I won’t be able to say goodbye to…_

_Finch Cortez_

_Racetrack Higgins_

_Albert Dasilva_

_Kenny Barnes_

_Jack Kelly_

_Crutchie Morris_

_Davey Jacobs_

_Mush Meyers_

_Spot Conlon_

_Tommy Boy Williams_

Over the years, Splash came to believe he was cursed. Never to be seen, unless the person carried a lustful desire he could satisfy. What if this was another example of that…? What if this was going to end the exact same way it always does…?

_I don’t care. I know what I’m going into. One night with this amazing, sweet, beautiful boy that ends in heartbreak is better than nothing. I won’t be able to let him go… but… the pain will be worth it._

**splasher-perez**

**I’M ON MY WAY**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noodle the ferret would later go on to be Splash's best man at his wedding to Race!!


End file.
